Hey.
So you've probably been writing prompts for a while now. Maybe you've collected some templates, bookmarked a few "amazing prompt libraries," tried copying what worked for someone else.
And sometimes it works... but most of the time it doesn't.
Here's what's actually happening.
Most people think prompt engineering is about finding the magic words. Like there's some secret incantation that makes AI work better. "If I just use the right format..." or "Maybe I need more detailed instructions..." or "Let me try that prompt everyone's sharing on Twitter."
Wrong.
Your prompts are failing before the AI even sees them. The problem isn't in the AI's processing - it's in your thinking.
Here's the truth: you haven't actually decided what you want before you start typing.
Think about it... when was the last time you sat down and wrote a prompt knowing exactly what outcome you needed, exactly what the AI would need to deliver that outcome, and exactly how you'd recognize success when you saw it?
Probably never.
Most people approach prompting like this: "I need some marketing content. Let me ask AI to write marketing content. Hmm, this isn't quite right. Let me try again with more details."
That's not prompt engineering. That's hoping and iterating.
Before you write a single word of any prompt, you need to answer three questions. And I mean really answer them, not just have a vague sense of what you want.
Question 1: What specific outcome do I want?
Not "write me an email." That's not specific. That's a category.